SELVA International

SELVA :: About Us

Background

SELVA International is a nonprofit conservation organization founded by Ph.D. ecologists with over 40 years of on-the-ground conservation experience. SELVA's mission addresses a wide-ranging problem we have witnessed in the conservation field.

The Problem

Environmental destruction happens at the local level- caused by people (individuals, communities, companies, and governments) who unsustainably exploit the natural resources we all depend on. For this reason, large amounts of money are spent worldwide, by conservation nonprofits, on conservation programs that attempt to stop this destruction locally. Unfortunately, these efforts rarely result in people conserving their natural resources. We have documented four reasons for this problem:

1. Scientific knowledge is lacking and rarely accessible to local resource managers and users, which means that people don't understand the ecological consequences of their actions.

2. General scientific knowledge is poorly applied by non-scientist conservationists and resource managers to environmental problems that are site-specific.

3. Conservation projects implemented locally are often run by outside entities and are therefore not relevant to local conditions or people.

4. Projects run by outside organizations are often too expensive and short-term to be sustainable.

SELVA's Solution

These problems are caused by a gap between local resource managers, people working in conservation, scientists working in academia, and funds directed to conservation (that rarely reach local projects). SELVA was created to fill this gap. We know that effective conservation needs to be based in science, affordable, supported by local people, and long-term. Our conservation model is based on the knowledge that only locally-managed projects can fulfill all these needs.

So, with SELVA it's simple. As scientists, we help local people worldwide implement their own low-cost, sustainable conservation programs. SELVA acts as a network through which scientists, resource managers, and people interested in promoting conservation can come together to preserve our environment.

SELVA Project Areas

1. Conservation collaboration on local projects*

We provide on-site services in scientific consulting, capacity building, and project collaboration to help local resource managers strengthen their abilities to conserve their environments. Our services help local groups with little access to financial and technical resources create and implement effective conservation projects:

• that are based in scientific research and monitoring.
• that conserve biodiversity, natural habitats, and ecosystem function.
• that promote sustainable use of natural resources.
• that are low-cost and self-sustainable, long-term.
• through working alliances of scientists, environmentalists, government, nonprofit organizations, educators, and local citizens.

Specific activities include (but are not limited to) support of the following:

• assessing scientific and conservation needs of project.
• planning, implementing, analyzing, and reporting ecological research.
• project planning, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• training and information-sharing with local resource managers.
• securing long-term funding (e.g., conservation grants, local funding, eco-tourism).

2. Non-profit environmental consulting*

We provide a scientifically-rigorous service of environmental consulting that informs a more sustainable use of our natural resources. Our service is not for profit and thus not corrupted by the consultant-client relationship. This is an alternative to profit driven high-cost consultants who spend little time in the field and are pressured by developers to produce biased reports.

3. Environmental Education

We are currently designing an online environmental education forum, where students and the general public will learn about current environmental issues by engaging in a diverse array of media and interactive programs.

4. Conservation HUB

We are working to create a conservation network with an intelligent, interactive, online interface that will provide information-sharing and collaborative services to all groups working in conservation. The Conservation HUB will help people worldwide find solutions to environmental problems that are based in science and locally-relevant.

*Services offered are free to at-cost, determined by level of need.

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SELVA's mission is to empower people to protect the environment. We do this by building alliances that support education and on the ground projects that are scientifically and economically sound.

SELVA International is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under the provisions of Chapter 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to SELVA International are tax deductible.

Who We Are
Read about our board of directors and staff.

Why SELVA?
Find out how we're different from other conservation organizations.

Projects
Read more about current SELVA projects.

Mónica Lizett Leytón Medrano :: Home Page - kids
Rolvis Pérez/FAN-Bolivia :: Home Page - forest; video - waterfall
Susan Lipman :: Contact Us - monkeys; video - aerial mountains, monkeys
Zsanett Hajdu :: video - tree w/ birds, tropical river, beetles, kingfisher
Mayrav Lev :: video - Gili
Alison Lipman :: Other main pics & video

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